Sustainable living is the practice of reducing your demand on natural resources by making sure that you replace what you use to the best of your ability and guide others as to how one should live a simple lifestyle taking a personal inventory and committing to minimize the usages of Earth’s resources and reduce the damage of human and environmental interactions.
Our planet can only produce a finite number of resources from food, to water and other games and fuels etc. We only have one Earth and are utterly dependent on it for our survival and well-being/ But both people and nature are facing severe consequences since our current consumption increases (that’s the amount of energy we use and our demand for resources to feed, clothe and house us, as well as materials that we want for pure enjoyment). It is thus vital to recognise the value of nature in our society and economy, and support sustainable management and investment in nature.
The coronavirus pandemic represents a clear and imminent threat. Its impact is an exponentially growing number of sick and dead with the sobering promise of truly epic human suffering. The pandemic has also overwhelmingly harmed the global economy: consumers stay at home, businesses lose revenue and lay off workers, and unemployment levels rise sharply. Irrespective of the economic categorization, many countries are struggling to prevent further economic damage caused by this pandemic. The crisis has offered a new perspective that after coronavirus, a key question emerges as to what a more sustainable future may look like? Will we Finally embrace Sustainable Living? As we all know Sustainable development is the amalgamation of three aspects: economic, environmental, and political, illustrating that current standard of life should be maintained in order for future generations-to ensure that they become able to enjoy the same quality of life.
Simple measures like using public transportation more often, reducing energy consumption, becoming more eco-friendly can go a long way in reducing our environmental impact and making this planet a clean and safe place, if you really want to start practicing sustainable living.
It is easier than you think.
There are various ways to live and practice sustainable living. For example, to become a gardener. It isn’t just about growing your own food, but gardens create green spaces and the garden waste can be mulched and returned to support healthy soil. Practice of minimalism doesn’t mean living without anything, it means that you are making sure that everything you own and use is put to its maximum purpose. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce your need to buy new products. If there is less waste then there is less to recycle or reuse. Learning to reuse items, or repurpose them for different use then what they are intended for is essential in the waste hierarchy.
Walk, Cycling or carpool to work,, The less personal use of your car you do, the more you and the environment will benefit. Sustainable living not only promotes sustainability by reducing pollution and the consumption of natural resources; walking or cycling to work will also improve your health and reduce the strain on public health resources.
Unplug device when not in use as Most of the electronic devices keep on drawing electricity even when they’re off. To reduce energy usage, simply pull the plug when not in use. It will help you save energy and reduce your monthly electricity bill.
Skip single-use items. We encounter single-use items in our day to day life like plastic straws, toilet paper, paper towels, plastic grocery bags, plastic cutlery are a big curse on our environment. You can surely cut down the use of some of these items.
And, observe an Eco-Sabbath. A single day or afternoon or at least an hour …
(Courtesy: Tripura Times)
